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1996-05-01 - Plan Commission - Minutes PUBLIC HEARING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION May 1, 1996 Shell Oil Company Facility/McDonald's Restaurant Chairman Goldspiel called the hearing to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard,Buffalo Grove,Illinois. Chairman Goldspiel read the Notice of Public Hearing as published in the Buffalo Grove Daily Herald, explained the procedure for the hearing and swore in all persons who wished to give testimony. Commissioners present: Chairman Goldspiel Ms. Howard Mr. Rosenston Mr. Samuels Mr. Berman Mr. Lundine Mr. Trilling Mr. Ottenheimer Commissioners absent: Mr. Krug Also present: Mr. George Maurides, Bischoff Maurides& Swabowski Ltd. Mr. Theodore Johnson, Thompson Dyke&Associates Ltd. Mr. Thomas Thunder, Acoustic Associates Ltd. Mr. M.P. Keintz, Shell Oil Company Mr. Kenneth Polach, Polach Appraisal Group Inc. Mr. Scott Triphahn, W-T Engineering, Inc. Mr. John Van Orden, Shell Oil Company Mr. Ted Treesh, Metro Transportation Group, Inc. Mr. Bartly Loethen, Bischoff Maurides& Swabowski Ltd. Mr. Mike Rogers,McDonald's Corporation Mr. Robert Zacharias, McDonald's Corporation Mr. Michael Assad,McDonald's Corporation Mr. Joseph Knapp, McDonald's Corporation Mr. William Raysa, Village Attorney Mr. Richard Kuenkler, Village Engineer Ms. DeAnn Glover, Village Trustee Mr. Darrell Wright, James J. Benes and Associates Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 1 The following exhibits were presented by the petitioner at the public hearing: Exhibit Al: Aerial photo of site Exhibit A2: 1996 Zoning Map Exhibit A3: Aerial photo of land uses and zoning with overlays Exhibit A4: Preliminary Site Plan(B-3 P.U.D. and setbacks) Exhibit A5: Preliminary Engineering Plan Exhibit A6: Site lighting photometric chart Exhibit A7: Site lighting photometric chart (after 10:00 p.m.) Exhibit A8: Site lighting photometric chart (after lights turned off at car wash and McDonald's facility) Exhibit A9: Section and Floor Plan Exhibit A 10: Building Elevations (main facility) Exhibit Al 1: Building Elevations (west and south) Exhibit Al2: Elevations of car wash, gas canopy and pump island Exhibit A13: Building Section Exhibit A14: North/south cross sections and east/west cross sections Exhibit A15, A16, Al 7: Acoustic Report Exhibit B l: Fiscal Impact Analysis Exhibit B3: Use and impact study Exhibit B4: Noise Emissions Study Exhibit B5: Report on Grease and Odor Control Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 2 Mr. George Maurides stated the petitioner is seeking an annexation with a B-3 zoning and preliminary plat approval for the property at Route 83 and Arlington Heights Road. He reviewed the surrounding area and the existing facilities. He noted this site was always shown as commercial on the Village Comprehensive Plan until 1992. When Concord was built, this site was changed to an office designation on the Comprehensive Plan. He noted the commercial developments across the street are all surrounded by residential development. Mr. Maurides stated the petitioner felt that in order to show that the office designation is not appropriate for this site, they needed todo something more than an office building would do for the site. The site needs to be appealing and less dense than the surrounding commercial ventures. He noted they have designed a screening method that will screen not only the proposed site but will also screen the neighbors from existing developments. Mr. Ted Johnson of Thompson Dyke& Associates reviewed a 1996 zoning map for comparable facilities within a four mile radius. He then reviewed his land use and zoning aerial photograph to acquaint everyone with existing uses. He noted the subject property is the only unincorporated Lake County property in the area. It is currently zoned countryside/agriculture in the County. Directly south is an R-9 multiple family district as is the property directly west of the subject property. To the north the property is zoned OR, to the northeast and east properties are zoned B-1 and B-3. He stated the petitioner is requesting an extension of this existing B-3 district onto the subject property and annexation into the Village of Buffalo Grove. Mr. Johnson noted this plan has applied the setback standards of the B-3 district onto the site. The first setback is a 12 foot landscaped setback from the right-of-way. Within this 12 feet it will be fully landscaped and there will be no encroachment of parking lots or buildings. There is a 25 foot building setback applied to Route 83, Arlington Heights Road and Fremont Way as well as a 50 foot setback on the western portion of the property applied to an adjoining residential district. The site plan does not encroach with buildings into any of the setbacks. These setbacks far exceed those that are required under the ordinance. The gas pump island is 55 feet from the property line at Route 83 and 195 feet from the western property line. The principal structure on the site is 145 feet from Route 83 and 145 feet from Arlington Heights Road and 125 feet from Fremont Way and 190 feet from the western property line. The car wash facility is 65 feet from the southern property line and 180 feet from the western property line. Mr. Johnson stated access to the property on the northern end is from Route 83 as a right turn in and right turn out. The other access is from Fremont Way and it is right turn in and left turn out. With respect to other circulation, they are proposing along Fremont Way to increase that street section an additional 12 feet as an additional lane from Arlington Heights Road to the access point which will permit westbound traffic from Arlington Heights Road onto Fremont Way and two eastbound movements. The middle lane would be a dedicated left turn lane from Fremont Way and the southern lane would be a through lane to go across and match up with the driveway across the street to the east and a right turn onto southbound Arlington Heights Road. The plan outside of the right-of-way also provides for a sidewalk along Arlington Heights Road and a Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 3 sidewalk along the north side of Fremont Way. To meet the Village standards, they are proposing right of way dedication both along Arlington Heights Road and a portion of the northern side of Fremont Way to permit the proper parkway between the curb and the sidewalks. The McDonald's facility has a drive through facility on the western and southern side of the building. It incorporates a three window system for ordering,paying and pickup. This system eliminates any outdoor speakers or ordering board. In addition to the drive through lane, they are proposing a by-pass lane adjacent to the drive through lane should anyone change their mind and not want to wait in line. Also on this portion of the site is the stacking area for the car wash. The entrance is `./ located on the western portion of the facility, exiting on the eastern portion. The by-pass lane can also be used for people who are waiting in line for a car wash and may change their minds. Both the drive through window and the car wash exit are one way drives for egress from those two facilities. The main parking is located on the eastern portion of the site. The entrance to the McDonald's facility is on the east side of the building. The entrance to the Shell facilities is on the north side of the building and parking for that use is located on the north side. The gas pumps are on the far north side of the building and the underground tanks will be located on the far north end of the building so that any tankers making deliveries to the site would come from Route 83 and park to fill the tanks. Mr. Johnson stated the overall site is 3.7 acres or 161,177 square feet. The building coverage occupies 5,587 square feet or 3 per cent of the entire site. The paved area totals 61,585 square feet or 39 per cent of the site and the remainder of the site is landscaped area and detention area and totals 94,000 square feet or 58 per cent of the entire site. The Shell portion of the principal building occupies 1,617 square feet and the McDonald's portion occupies 2,970 square feet. Mr. Johnson stated the Shell and McDonald's facility requires a total of 37 parking spaces. The plan provides for 61 parking spaces on the site. He further noted they are proposing an eight foot high retaining wall, consisting of two four foot high walls combined, on the southeastern and western portions of the site. Between the two walls,they are proposing a solid screen of evergreen trees as a visual and noise buffer. Other plant materials on the site include shade trees, ornamental trees, prairie grasses, various perennials and annuals. The far southwestern portion of the site is the detention area which will be dry and to the north of that they plan prairie establishment. He further noted this plan incorporates a sidewalk to the site from the sidewalk that is being proposed on the north side of Fremont Way. Mr. Johnson reviewed the lighting photometric chart which shows the most intent light right under the canopy. The range is 40 plus foot candles at this point. As you get away from the development, the light starts to reduce so that by the time you reach the western and southern property line there is essentially no foot candles generated by this development. Since all of the uses are not 24 hour uses, a number of lights will be turned off after 10:00 p.m. He stated the lighting standards indicated on the plan are 16 feet in total height with the exception of one light in front of the entrance to McDonald's which is proposed to be at a 14 foot height. Mr. Johnson reviewed the building floor plan, noting the Shell building is 1,314 square feet, Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 4 McDonald's is 2,668 square feet and shared space of 605 square feet. Half of the shared space as allocated to each user for parking space calculations. Mr. Johnson reviewed the building sections noting the roof top units are well under the parapet and are therefore essentially screened. The highest point on the main facility are the two roofs of the entrance pylons which are at 22 feet 1 inch. The gas canopy is at 17 feet 6 inches. He noted the closest structure of the Crossings development to the closest proposed structure is 245 feet and the closed structure of the Concord development to the proposed plan is 165 feet. Mr. Johnson reviewed the fiscal impact analysis stating that based on the value of the property and the buildings and the equalized assessed valuation, the property would yield an annual tax of approximately $50,500 to all of the taxing agencies. The Village's share of that would be approximately $5,500 per year. The anticipated sales tax from the food mart, McDonald's and gas sales is approximately 4.8 million dollars. The Village share of that at 1 1/2 percent would be $72,000 per year. Mr. Maurides stated that Shell Oil is not the contract purchaser of the property; they are actually the fee simple owners of the property. Mr. Joe Knapp of the McDonald's Corporation stated his primary job is ventilation. He noted his primary responsibility has been to develop the exhaust and ventilation systems used in McDonald's facilities. He is also responsible for fire suppression in the exhaust system and the store and responsible for extraction of grease and odors which effect outdoor pollution concerns, indoor air quality and neighborhood nuisances. Mr. Knapp reviewed Exhibit B5 and stated McDonald's has developed custom design exhaust hoods, custom design filters within the exhaust hoods, custom design fans on the roof. A number of new concepts have been introduced into the industry which have become industry standards in general. He stated there is no grease that comes out of the exhaust stack at a McDonald's. It is inherent in the design of the hood, the filter and the fan. It is also inherent in the design of the cooking process. The amount of grease capable of coming off the surface has been reduced tremendously. It then goes through specially designed filters which extracts more grease, drains it vertically into a trough. A turbulent flow design within the hood itself creates as much contact between whatever grease may have gotten between the baffles and the hood to knock out any grease still in the air and to lower the temperature of the air and thereby condense more of the vapors that may not yet be condensed and therefore not removable. It is then centrifuged up through a round stack to the fan. The fan is a purposely designed centrifuge with discharge vertically upward so that all the grease which is condensated flings out against the fan and this grease drains down to an external closed covered receptacle. He stated that taking the grease out of the air removes all the odor that is directly associated with the grease. This removes up to 60 percent of the odor that otherwise would be going into the air. He noted that on the fan discharge there is a high peripheral discharge velocity which causes two inductions of airflow. This dilutes the outside air into non-odorous air. He states they approximately 80,000 stores in residential Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 5 areas that are not the subject of odor complaints. Given the location of this site and the prevailing southwest winds in this area, none of the winds will blow from the McDonald's site to the adjacent residential areas. They will blow across the main roads to other commercial properties. At the extreme in summer with a south wind, the air will blow due north. At the extreme in winter, a due north wind will blow south toward the buildings for perhaps two or three days total. The vast majority of the time there is no prevailing wind blowing from this site to the adjacent properties. `./ Mr. Tom Thunder of Acoustic Associates, Ltd. stated he visited three different Shell car washes to measure not only overall noise level but to break this noise down to various spectrums and different frequencies. At these car washes they measured at a distance of 25 feet. There is some metal to metal impact, spray from the wash and noise from the blowers. Measurements were made at the exit and entrances and also the vacuum area. The sound was broken up into the different frequencies generated. In plotting the spectrum they used the A weighted sound level. This is a way to mimic the way the human ear responds. At the exits most of the noise is in the mid to high frequencies. For the entrances, there is a lower noise level and for vacuum cleaners there is generally much less noise than for the entrances and exits to the car washes. The exit is the primary cause for car wash noise. Mr. Thunder stated the State of Illinois has a noise code that has been in existence since 1974 and has become a model noise code for many states around Illinois. Illinois does not limit the overall noise level but instead it measures or limits the noise in each individual band. The Buffalo Grove noise ordinance is very old and based on terminology which has not been used for 30-40 years. However, Mr. Thunder stated he took the octave bands and made some calculations to try to modernize the code, then he A weighted them to try to get some comparisons. Surprisingly the Buffalo Grove code chart is very similar to the Illinois code. Therefore, it seems the numbers are fine, but the terminology only needs to be changed. Mr. Thunder stated the projected curve from the car wash alone falls below both state and city requirements in all the bands of noise. The noise due to the car wash projected at the south property line would be about 46 db. He reviewed charts showing measurements of noise during the day(non-rush hour) and late in the evening. He noted there is not very much difference in ambient noise between 9:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. midday noise. This attests to the high vehicle density which exists in this area even into the evening hours. The noise ranges are from about 50 db in the daytime to levels as high as 70 db and more. He stated the graph shows the car wash will generally be an inaudible source. Suggestions have been made for the landscaping to better screen the residential property from noise impact Mr. Ted Treesh of Metro Transportation Group stated they analyzed the impact of the proposed development on the surrounding street network. He stated they conducted traffic surveys surrounding the site through manual traffic counts at the intersection of Route 83 and Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights Road and Fremont Way and Fremont Way and Route 53 as well as Arlington Heights Road and Heritage Place. The traffic counts were conducted during a Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 6 weekday, during a morning at 6:30-9:30 a.m. and in the evening from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Counts were also conducted on a Saturday from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. These times were selected as they are typically the peak hours of travel on the adjacent streets as well as peak hour traffic that is entering and exiting the proposed uses on this property. Mr. Treesh noted gas purchases are made on the way to another place. Gasoline purchases are not typically done as destination trips. The fast food restaurant exhibits a similar type of traffic pattern, although not as significant as the gas station. A fast food use typically attracts 35-45 percent of its trips from the traffic that is already on the adjacent arterials. The gas stations typically attracts 60-70 percent of the traffic on the roadways. This development will not attract a significant amount of new trips to this intersection. These uses will feed off the amount of traffic that is traveling through the intersection. Arlington Heights Road has a daily traffic volume of 45,000 cars per day and Route 83 has a daily traffic volume of 32,000 cars per day. Mr. Treesh stated there are two access drives to the property with the access drive on Fremont way being designed to facilitate the movements to and from Arlington Heights Road. It will be up to the Village if they want to prohibit turns to and from the residential areas to the west. Mr. Treesh stated he assumes in his analysis that 100 percent of the trips into and out of this development would be new trips to the street network. That way it ensures this development and its impact has been looked at in the worst case scenario. One of the recommendations to come out of this analysis was the widening of Fremont Way on the approach to Arlington Heights Road. He noted they are proposing a third lane to allow two dedicated eastbound lanes to the intersection to allow the left turns to que in an exclusive left turn lane and the through and right turns to be unimpeded by the vehicles waiting to turn left to go north on Arlington Heights Road. Dual left turn lanes on Arlington Heights Road to northbound Route 83 fill in during evening peak hours with the queue extending beyond the Fremont Way intersection. He noted the dual left turn lanes typically clear out on one cycle and the que is dissipated enough to allow traffic to exit Fremont Way. During peak times that left turn is difficult which is one of the reasons they are proposing the second lane to allow the right turns to be unimpeded by that left turn. Mr. Treesh further noted they have had discussions with IDOT who has given preliminary approval to the access on Route 83. Mr. Treesh stated the previous question about traffic exiting Route 83 and crossing a solid white line has been confirmed as a legal maneuver. He further stated the question of cut through traffic caused by the proposed development seems unlikely as people pausing to get gas on their way to other destinations are looking to access the major arterials quickly. He also noted the question of increased accidents was analyzed and the only data prior to improvements showed a total of 8 accidents over a three year period. Considering the amount of traffic on a daily basis at this intersection, the accident rate is low. Mr. Maurides stated the site is designated as office now. However, he noted they have tried to show that a gas station does not create traffic. An office building does bring in additional traffic. Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 7 The overall percentage for the entire site shows there will be 60 percent convenience traffic and 40 percent destination traffic. He further noted the proposed third lane on Fremont Way will generally improve the turning situation for residents of the area. He also noted that nothing can be done to decrease existing traffic. Mr. Michael Assad of McDonald's stated McDonald's accepts deliveries any time during the business day. He stated their distributors are local so that they can have any size truck which is appropriate. The deliveries are scheduled in advance and done to help operations so that they would not be there during rush hours. 2:00-3:00 p.m. is a typical delivery period as is 10:00 a.m. He stated McDonald's has been working to get into the Buffalo Grove area for about 7-8 years. Strategy over the past ten years has changed to smaller facilities with better market penetration. These facilities seat between 40-60 and have less volume as facilities are closer together. He stated McDonald's has been researching the oil alliance facilities for about two years. He stated they have alliances with 9-10 oil firms. They currently have about 50-60 such facilities open and about 150 are under construction. He stated these facilities do not handle the amount of volume and traffic as the traditional McDonald's restaurants. He stated this type of use typically has more emphasis on the drive through window. The seating area and ambiance is not the same as in a traditional McDonald's restaurant. Mr. Assad stated McDonald's does create some of its own traffic but they do not go into locations they feel cannot handle it. He noted McDonald's originally pulled out from this project when one of the plans did not allow for the convenient flow of traffic in and out of the site. Mr. Mike Keintz of Shell Oil stated they purchased the subject property last year and are dedicated to bringing the finest retail development into the community. He stated they have gone through extraordinary efforts to respond to community wishes. He stated a modern gasoline store is truly convenience oriented. He stated they do not consider themselves a destination stop at all. These facilities offer a one stop deal for modern commuters which is why Shell looks for existing traffic and convenient locations. Here commuters can combine several trips into one so that there is one entrance and one exit from the roadway. The site itself is too large for one single use and there is an economic need to partner with a second user. Mr. Keintz stated the gasoline and C-store are 24 hour operations. The car wash runs 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Deliveries can occur at any time for gasoline and C-store deliveries are at non peak daytime hours. Gasoline deliveries are targeted to daytime as much as possible. Delivery trucks shut off their engines and the total drop period takes about 20-30 minutes. Mr. Keintz stated Shell and its franchisees are very involved in their local communities and charities. This facility will exceed all expectations and will be an asset to Buffalo Grove. Mr. Kenneth Polach of Polach Appraisal Group stated they have prepared a study of the highest and best use and impact of the proposed development on the surrounding area. He stated corners are very desirable for commercial uses. The corners are typically developed with a pattern of Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 8 commercial use at the corner with residential uses surrounding the corner. This site is consistent with that pattern and the other three corners adjacent. In considering the various uses that could be made of this site, it must be stated that this site is too valuable as a commercial site to be utilized for many of the other uses that would be considered. Another use of this site would probably result in a much more intense use of the site with respect to building size, parking lot areas, reduced setbacks and less open space. Mr. Polach stated it is unusual to find a site plan that shows 58 percent as open space and this is done specifically to protect the adjoining residential properties. He stated they looked at sales of other residential uses adjoining commercial sites within this area to get an idea of whether or not there was an impact from existing commercial use adjoining single family or townhouse developments. The examples looked at showed no impact. Studies in other areas of commercial uses adjoining residential uses with such a plan showed there would be no impact on the surrounding property values. The plan provides a viable use with strong corporate users which will ensure maintenance of the property and it also provides for an increased tax base. The plan also eliminates the uncertainty associated with vacant property. Based on these factors, Mr. Polach stated they feel the proposed use is consistent with the highest and best use of the property and also that it would not impact the adjoining residential properties. Mr. Maurides stated it would be difficult to find any developer who could put into a project the amount of time, effort and dollars that is being put into this project. Only 42 percent of the site is being developed and the best screening possible is being provided. Eventually this site will be developed and the next group may not do as much as this group is willing to do. Commissioner Howard asked if the proposed third lane on Fremont Way will make Fremont Way closer to Route 83 since the 12 feet needed for the lane will come from the proposed site. Mr. Treesh stated that was correct. Commissioner Howard asked if McDonald's intended to add on a playground. Mr. Maurides stated no. Commissioner Howard noted concern with the criss-cross traffic at Fremont and Arlington Heights Road. She stated the right turn lane off of Route 83 onto Arlington Heights Road is unrestricted and a dangerous obstacle to entry on Fremont Way. Commissioner Howard noted McDonald's would be operating approximately 18 hours per day. Mr. Assad stated McDonald's would operate hours for whatever business demands. Commissioner Howard asked when employees would come. Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 9 Mr. Assad stated the employees generally are there a half hour before and after the open and close of business. Commissioner Rosenston asked if there would be a sidewalk on Route 83. Mr. Johnson noted there is an existing sidewalk there now. Commissioner Rosenston asked if there would be speakers on any of the pumps. Mr. Keintz stated no. Commissioner Rosenston noted tankers would come in off of Route 83. He asked how those tankers would then leave the site. Mr. Keintz stated the tanker will turn and go back out on Route 83. Commissioner Rosenston concurred that most of the traffic at this site will be traffic that already exists and the destination traffic for McDonald's will occur during off peak hours. He stated an office building creates more traffic than most other developments and it would be a disaster in this area. Commissioner Samuels stated the Polach study should be presented further as pages 19 through 22 are especially pertinent. Mr. Polach stated they had looked at some properties in the area which are adjoining commercial development now to see whether or not there was an impact as a result of adjoining a commercial development. He noted they looked at properties in the Concord development overlooking the commercial development across the street. Sale of those properties were compared to those on the interior away from any influence. They found there was no significant difference. At the northeast corner, Spoerlein, was studied for adjacent unit sales and interior unit sales and once again there was no significant difference between sales immediately adjoining commercial development and those away. Commissioner Samuels asked if the developer would be interested in helping to pay for a street light at either Heritage or Fremont if the warrants were met and a light became an option. Mr. Keintz stated yes. Commissioner Samuels asked what prevents the petitioner from developing this property without annexing to the Village of Buffalo Grove. Mr. Maurides stated this property is now zoned C in the County. He stated they never investigated this possibility in depth because it was not their desire to develop in the County. He Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 10 noted they could probably petition the County for rezoning to commercial and then try to do the development. They would have to have a hearing by the County and every single person present today would be able to come and speak at the County level. However, he feels that ultimately they would probably succeed. Commissioner Berman stated he does not disagree with the idea that this is a commercial site. However, he is not yet convinced that these particular commercial uses are appropriate. He noted concern with traffic that is proceeding westbound on Route 83 and turns southbound on `./ Arlington Heights Road, crosses over to make the right turn on Fremont to get into the site. The potential conflict at this point appears great. Mr. Wright stated that is a movement where there is a weave and there is a potential conflict there. The majority of the traffic to the site though is from the west and from the south. Commissioner Berman stated he is very uncomfortable with not being able to assess the hazard to safety for the residents and cars attempting to get into the site. Mr. Wright noted they have stated that the number of accidents at the intersection of Fremont and Arlington Heights Road to one additional accident in a two year period based on average accident rates. However, they did not look at the criss-cross and weave. Commissioner Berman asked Mr. Thunder what standard applies to 6:00 a.m. Mr. Thunder stated he did not have that data. Commissioner Berman noted that given the fact that traffic counts would be considerably lower at 6:00-8:00 a.m. on Saturday or Sunday morning, the ambient noise level may also be considerably lower. Mr. Thunder stated the expected decibel drop is about three decibels. That is about the average just detectible difference for the human ear. You would need the traffic to drop about half the make a real difference in the ambient noise level. Commissioner Berman asked if the relationship between the noise generated by the car wash and the ambient noise level would produce audible noise from the car wash. Mr. Thunder stated that as the traffic level goes down, the car wash noise will stay the same so there is a propensity for the car wash to be more audible on weekends. Commissioner Berman asked if noise calculations took into consideration the maturity of the trees. Mr. Thunder stated no. Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 11 Commissioner Berman asked if the system proposed for this McDonald's is the same as the new McDonald's on Milwaukee Avenue. Mr. Knapp stated the system is identical. Commissioner Berman noted he stopped in at the McDonald's on Milwaukee Avenue where he detected a strong odor outside of the restaurant. Commissioner Berman asked what kind of drainage system would be used outside of the car wash. Mr. Scott Triphahn of W-T Engineering, Inc. stated the plans call for a sloping driveway that drains to a catchbasin at the T intersection which is also pitched in from the property line at the approach to that same catchbasin. Commissioner Berman asked Mr. Kuenkler if this system will be sufficient to avoid any icing or other dangerous situations due to the water. Mr. Kuenkler stated the water would be captured on the exit drive from the car wash and channeled to the head of the T and should work efficiently. Commissioner Lundine asked what the McDonald's philosophy is regarding cleanliness and the prevention of hangout situations in their facilities. Mr. Assad stated it is in the best interests of McDonald's to keep the area clean. He stated they send their kids out daily during non-rush hour times to pick up refuse for a block in any direction. He also stated it is again in their best interests to prevent kids hanging out. He stated the cheapest thing to do is to hire an off-duty policeman to visibly forestall any problems. He further noted McDonald's is very committed within their communities and actively strives to prevent any kind of trouble. Commissioner Trilling asked how many employees would be in the building at any given time. Mr. Keintz stated Shell will typically have two employees. Mr. Assad stated McDonald's varies between 4-8 employees depending on maintenance schedules and peak times. Mr. Rogers of McDonald's described the McDonald's operation noting where employees work during peak and non-peak hours. Commissioner Trilling asked if there are any provisions for bicycle storage. Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 12 Mr. Johnson stated there are no such provisions but they would be happy to put some up in front of the store if needed. Commissioner Trilling asked if there are any plans by any of the agencies for future improvements. Mr. Treesh noted Lake County required an additional 10 foot taking but they have no plans to widen Arlington Heights Road. IDOT did not require any additional right-of-way. `./ Commissioner Trilling asked if there will be any outdoor seating. Mr. Johnson stated there is no plan for outdoor seating. Commissioner Trilling asked for the dumpster location. Mr. Johnson stated the dumpsters will be on the western portion of the site just before the entrance to the car wash. It will be an enclosure of the same type of materials that the main facility is constructed of. Commissioner Trilling asked how the grease is removed from the site. Mr. Knapp stated grease from the scrap cans and from the fires is collected in sealed containers out at the dumpster area and then picked up on schedule by the refuse company. Commissioner Trilling noted concern with the catch basin at the exit of the car wash and the slope in that spot causing accidents. Mr. Triphahn stated the exit area for the car wash will drain adequately and not accumulate water. Mr. Johnson further noted he never has an exit of a car wash facing north so that the pavement at the car wash will be getting sun to dry it off. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked what time the dumpsters will be picked up. Mr. Maurides stated the Village has an ordinance as to what time trash must be picked up and same will be complied with. Commissioner Ottenheimer asked if there have been any marketing studies conducted to see if this type of development will work. Mr. Maurides stated the two corporations involved have done the demographics and feel that this venture will work at this location. Commissioner Ottenheimer noted concern with pedestrian traffic because of the McDonald's Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 13 draw. Mr. Maurides noted the addition of the sidewalk specifically for pedestrian traffic from the adjacent developments. Mr. Assad noted their experience has shown an inconsequential number of pedestrians using their facilities. �./ Commissioner Ottenheimer stated that he feels the surrounding neighborhood will attract children and this is a concern for him. Chairman Goldspiel asked if the level of the pavement in the parking lot is higher than the pavement on Arlington Heights Road. Mr. Triphahn stated the parking lot is about 2 1/2 feet higher than the sidewalk. He noted they have actually lowered the site but they are still higher than Arlington Heights Road and the buildings on the site will be about 3 1/2 feet higher. Mr. Maurides stated they are not opposed to berming or lowering the site down to the same level of the street if it is feasible. Chairman Goldspiel asked if the deteriorating traffic condition noted in the traffic report is due to the contribution from the proposed development or the result of the increased traffic allowed for. Mr. Treesh stated it would be the incremental increase that causes the deterioration as that is greater than the traffic which would be added to the intersection by this development. Chairman Goldspiel asked why the traffic tables show a worsening condition on Saturdays. Mr. Treesh noted that McDonald's generates more traffic on a Saturday. Chairman Goldspiel asked if there was any reasonable possibility of a light at either Fremont or Heritage. Mr. Wright stated no. Elliott Hartstein, 908 Providence, stated the question before the Commission is whether or not this particular project is suitable for this site. He questioned whether the project was needed and accessible for the residents of Buffalo Grove in face of the potential adverse impact. Mr. Hartstein suggested this is a very unique site at the intersection of two major roadways. He stated this is not a typical intersection rather a unique situation with very unique problems. Because of its configuration and the traffic coming around from Route 83 onto Arlington Heights Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 14 Road, the project is not suitable nor feasible nor safe or reasonable for consideration. It is in fact this very configuration which demands this kind of limited access. It is also the reason that a neighborhood street is being turned into a commercial driveway. Mr. Hartstein stated this development is directly adjacent to a residential neighborhood which is served by a street which will now become a commercial access point. He noted the traffic study itself was based on an average intersection which this is not. The Commission should ask itself what price it is willing to pay in terms of moving forth with a project and the impact it may or may not have upon the area in terms of safety. Mr. Hartstein noted that constructing an additional lane on Fremont will likely increase the chance of accidents. Mr. Hartstein questioned the actual need for another fast food restaurant in Buffalo Grove. He stated this particular site is not accessible enough to meet the needs and desires of the residents of Buffalo Grove. It has been stated that the majority of traffic that will be coming to this particular site will be from other communities coming down Route 83 and Buffalo Grove will pay the price in terms of the burden. He stated this development is not suited for this particular site. Mr. Hartstein stated he still feels this site would lend itself admirably to residential development. If that were to prove impossible, he feels a destination situation would be preferable because of traffic would be in and out at particular periods of time as imposed to the traffic impact the proposed development would have. Ilene Kleeblatt, 1174 Bristol Lane, stated she is here tonight in an effort to protect herself and her children from the traffic concerns this project would bring. She cited a recent traffic accident which ended with a car coming through her living room and barely missing her children and herself Andrea Brim, 1245 Bristol Lane, stated she chose to live in the Crossing because of the unusually beautiful landscaping and serene setting that this subdivision offers. She noted she had checked with the Village prior to purchasing her home to determine the land use of the 3.7-acre vacant lot. She stated she was told in 1990 that this land did not belong to Buffalo Grove but since it was entirely surrounded by Buffalo Grove, it appeared on the Comprehensive Plan as commercial. In addition she was told Otis Development planned to build a two-story office building, a one story bank and a park with a pond since the property was wetlands. Since 1992 this property has been classified for office and research. Ms. Brim stated she would like the use to conform to the Village's Comprehensive Plan. She noted Shell Oil Company had invited residents to a meeting last week at which only two families attended. Ms. Brim stated Shell Oil originally approached the Village Trustees with plans for a gas station, car wash and food mart on the east side of the lot and a three-story office building on the west side of the lot. That plan showed curb cuts on Route 83, Arlington Heights Road and an exit Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 15 onto Fremont. She noted the trustees' response was generally negative, particularly with respect to the use of Fremont as access to this project. A second plan included two smaller office buildings of two stories each. This plan included both the entrance and exit on Fremont. The trustees asked Shell once again to meet with the homeowners. Another meeting with Shell Oil and the residents occurred wherein Shell was repeatedly questioned about the possibility of a joint venture between Shell and a fast food corporation. This joint venture was repeatedly denied. Yet, two weeks later Shell appeared with `.J plans for a joint venture with McDonald's. Ms. Brim stated Shell appeared once again before the trustees with four proposals. One proposal contained the offices and three of the plans were of the Shell/McDonald's joint venture. Of these four plans only one had no direct access to Fremont. The trustees were visibly and audibly disturbed as were the homeowners who were present at the meeting. The trustees were adamant that there was to be no access on Fremont. Ms. Brim noted this property was bought up by Shell through the bankruptcy court for a very large amount and they obviously needed a partner with the ability to generate massive sales to accomplish their payment of this bid. In reality the bankruptcy court has determined the real value of this land by picking the highest bidder. She noted the real value of the property lies in the harmonious development of the corner with the existing surrounding residences. She reviewed the combined Shell Oil/McDonald's plan history and the increase in the size of the McDonald's facility with each succeeding meeting. She noted a special combined meeting between the Village trustees and the Plan Commission with regard to the proposed closure of Fremont. The result was a complete denial of closure of Fremont Way. Ms. Brim stated that this project will ensure that the Village of Buffalo Grove and its residents become the victims in this development. Shell and McDonald's are offering a piece of the pie to the Village in tax revenues. However, the homeowners will lose property value and quality of life. This project will do nothing more than destroy a peaceful community. Ms. Brim stated only four units at Concord have sold in the last 360 days. These units have also taken an extraordinary number of days to finally sell. She asked that wisdom be used in relation to this project. Finally, the safety of all children and adults who attempt to cross Arlington Heights Road and Route 83 on foot, bikes, skateboards and roller blades as they are attracted by McDonald's is threatened. Lou Eisenberg, 1213 Franklin Lane, stated Shell had tried going to Lake County for development of the site and were told that any facility which uses a well to service more than 20 people in a 6 month period who are not either employees or residents of the property becomes a public well and such a well must be located a minimum of 400 feet from any underground storage tanks. Depending on the way the ground flows, it could be up to 1,000 feet. That being the case, they would not be able to sink a well. Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 16 Mr. Eisenberg also stated the trustees have gone on record as saying that safety is the number one concern and it outweighs everything including the desire to develop this corner. This corner is the fifth most dangerous intersection in Lake County. Shell's response to safety has been to ignore it, to worsen it and to create it. He noted cut through traffic is a problem and once it exists, there is little the village can do to solve the problem. He noted the summer months brings an influx of tourists who often park in this subdivision and even along Route 83. He further noted there is no provision for truck parking and truckers will be attracted to the McDonald's restaurant as will buses. Mr. Eisenberg stated there is a park that is actively used by soccer players and the parking from that activity is intense. Increased cut through traffic amongst all those kids is a safety hazard. He also stated widening Fremont shortens the merge lane from Route 83 by 12 feet. The merge lane is dangerously short as it is. Commercializing this intersection will encourage more left turn traffic which is the reason for the third lane. He noted the situation at Fremont is so bad that residents and some elected officials have been seeking to make Fremont a no left turn intersection. With a no left turn sign there will be no need to widen Fremont or shorten the merge lane. Mr. Eisenberg stated that for reasons of public safety alone,this plan must be rejected. He stated a vote for this plan is to vote for a new hazard on Route 83, a shortened merge lane and Shell profits over community safety. Ben Zavatsky, 1470 Fairfax, stated people turning right and left off of Route 83 are passing Fremont at speeds of 35-45 miles per hour and there is no way they can access this development during rush hours. If accessibility to the station is limited, the development will not be successful. Ron Blitenthal, 948 Providence, stated this is a use coming in to an existing residential area and this makes a difference. Also, he noted that the lighting cutoffs will have children coming to this development who are not seen and there may be ice slicks in winter which will add to the hazards. On the other hand, if the lighting is improved, it will be a nuisance to the adjacent residents. Mr. Blitenthal stated he can hear the train which is 2 miles away and the noise from the carwash will be unmistakable. He further noted McDonald's has stated they get 35-40 percent of its traffic from existing traffic levels. This means McDonald's gets 55-65 percent of its traffic created from new traffic. Mr. Blitenthal noted the existence of Children's Park which caters to very young children. The combination of young children and increased traffic is not a very good combination. He further noted the trailers making deliveries to Shell at 2-3:00 p.m. in the afternoon is just about the time children are coming home from school which poses another safety hazard due to this development. Mr. Blitenthal stated it is common sense that a property facing a commercial property is not going to be worth as much as a home in the interior or a development. Mr. Polach's assertion that there Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 17 would not be any significant difference does not seem to fit. Jim Stops, who lives at the intersection of Fremont, stated this is a very valuable piece of property which is why Shell and McDonald's are trying to develop the site. In order for the development to be profitable, it is necessary to have a lot of cars coming in for services. This ensures traffic will be worse than ever and more dangerous. Murray Mizac, who lives at Chase and Fremont Way, stated none of the residents in the area are in favor of this project. The question seems to be for whom is this use best since so few people are in favor of the project. Carol Brenner, 1337 Bristol, stated most people are not opposed to Shell or McDonald's. However, the main issue is one of safety. She noted her concern with right turn lane off of Route 83 which many people take at 60 miles per hour. She stated an arrow limiting that right turn is necessary since people turning left from northbound Route 83 are unable to get into the right hand lane on Arlington Heights Road and the hazard is tremendous. She also noted that children frequently cross Arlington Heights Road trying to get to the White Hen. This is a very dangerous situation already. She further noted there will be more traffic coming through the Crossings in order to avoid the congestion at the intersection and both the clubhouse and pool, as well as the tennis courts, are located in this area. She stated this is a residential area instead of a through street and the children are allowed to cross there. Sandy Sutter, 1261 Bristol, stated Fremont Way floods every time it rains and you cannot even drive through. Annette Schaffer, 1317 Bristol Lane, stated that Shell Oil is not the good corporate citizen is considers itself. She stated Shell has wrecked havoc on lands in Nigeria where they drill for oil. Chairman Goldspiel stated that land use decisions must be made regardless of who the applicant is. Ms. Schaffer stated she feels it is important to be careful about the kind of corporate neighbor that is invited into the neighborhood. If Shell is not responsible elsewhere, they may not be responsible here either. Karen Larsen, 1279 Farnsworth, stated it is a shame to consider a Shell and McDonald's as the finest example of a retail development in the village. She noted that Route 83 is a major problem and two wrongs do not make a right. Because Route 83 is a problem, does not mean you should add to that problem. She further noted children do walk around the development as well as ride bikes and use skateboards and this should not be a problem for them. She further stated she considers the master plan a form of a promise and noted people bought homes on the promise that this site would be office space. Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 18 Gail Larsen Lutz, 1524 Anderson Lane, stated the profit to the village from the sales taxes does not seem that great in return for a complete change in lifestyle. She also noted that the car wash on Dundee west of Route 53 freezes over forming ice and does cause accidents. Jeremy Berger, 1023 Providence Lane, stated many people go onto the empty site just to smoke. If the area is developed, people will not be able to smoke. This would help the children in the area by protecting them from this type of activity. He stated this development would be for the greater interests of the community. Craig Krenicki, Bristol Lane, asked why Shell was not interrupted when they spoke of their corporate citizenship and charitable works in the area and the previous resident was interrupted when she tried to point out a lack of corporate responsibility on the part of Shell Oil. Chairman Goldspiel stated that in view of the hour he felt the proceedings needed to move along and the speaker was taking twice as long as the amount of time Shell used on the subject. Chairman Goldspiel asked for comments on any flooding situation on Fremont Way. Mr. Kuenkler stated the main drain for the Crossings at the particular location mentioned ended and had no outlet stormsewer until about a year ago so it was common for the water to boil out the inlets and flow overland. The stormsewer has now been extended in connection with the Concord Place development. Mr. Eisenberg stated Franklin Lane still floods. In summary, Mr. Maurides stated the primary concern of most people is the creation of excessive traffic from this development. He stated they cannot convince people otherwise and therefore must rely on their traffic experts and the Village traffic consultant. Mr. Maurides noted the compelling argument that the comprehensive plan was a promise to the residents of an area. However, one must look at this project and ask if it is better than what could be developed. He stated they have tried to make this the best development for the residents and a better development than what is promised on the comprehensive plan. There being no further comments or questions from anyone else present, Chairman Goldspiel closed the public hearing at 1:00 a.m. Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 19 Res tfully submitt , Fa Rubi , Re rding Secretary APPROVED BY: A S E N GOLDSPIE , Chairman Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Public Hearing-May 1, 1996-Page 20 REGULAR MEETING BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION May 1, 1996 Shell Oil Company/McDonald's restaurant,southwest corner of Illinois Route 83/Arlington Heights Road-- Annexation with zoning in the B-3 District and approval of a Preliminary Plan for a gasoline station/mini-mart/fast-food restaurant with a drive-through window and car wash Chairman Goldspiel called the meeting to order at 1:00 a.m. in the Village Council Chambers, Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove,Illinois. Commissioners present: Chairman Goldspiel Ms. Howard Mr. Rosenston Mr. Samuels Mr. Berman Mr. Lundine Mr. Trilling Mr. Ottenheimer Commissioners absent: Mr. Krug Also present: Mr. George Maurides, Bischoff Maurides& Swabowski Ltd. Mr. Theodore Johnson, Thompson Dyke&Associates, Ltd. Mr. Thomas Thunder,Acoustic Associates, Ltd. Mr. M. P. Keintz, Shell Oil Company Mr. Kenneth Polach,Polach Appraisal Group Inc. Mr. Scott Triphahn,W-T Engineering, Inc. Mr. John Van Orden, Shell Oil Company Mr. Ted Treesh,Metro Transportation Group,Inc. Mr. Bartley Loethen,Bischoff Maurides& Swabowski Ltd. Mr. Mike Rogers,McDonald's Corporation Mr. Robert Zacharias, McDonald's Corporation Mr. Michael Assad,McDonald's Corporation Mr. Joseph Knapp,McDonald's Corporation Mr. William Raysa,Village Attorney Mr. Richard Kuenkler, Village Engineer Ms. DeAnn Grove,Village Trustee Mr. Darrell Wright,James J. Benes and Associates Mr. Robert Pfeil,Village Planner Buffalo Grove Plan Comm-Regular Meeting-May 1, 1996-Page 1 APPROVAL OF MINUTES -None COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS Chairman Goldspiel stated he attended the Village Board meeting on April 22, 1996 at which there was considerable discussion about priorities and matters to be discussed by the Village with regard to the process and revisions to the Comprehensive Plan �./ SHELL OIL COMPANY/MCDONALD'S RESTAURANT. SOUTHWEST CORNER OF ILLINOIS ROUTE 83/ARLINGTON HEIGHTS ROAD -- ANNEXATION WITH ZONING IN THE B-3 DISTRICT AND APPROVAL OF A PRELIMINARY PLAN FOR A GASOLINE STATION/MINI-MART/FAST-FOOD RESTAURANT WITH A DRIVE-THROUGH WINDOW AND A CAR WASH Moved by Commissioner Samuels, seconded by Commissioner Rosenston to recommend approval to the Village Board of the petition to the Village for annexation with zoning in the B-3 Planned Business Center District and approval of a Preliminary Plan to construct a building of 4,587 square feet for a gasoline station/mini-mart/fast-food restaurant with a drive-through window, and to construct a building of 1,000 square feet for a car wash facility pursuant to the testimony and exhibits as presented. Commissioner Samuels stated that as a commissioner he is always trying to evaluate the good of a particular project for the entire village. He noted he must look beyond the immediate neighborhood. He stated there must be a balance between commercial activity and residential properties and this property is as commercial as anything can get. Good planning dictates that you put your commercial activity on your highest density roads where the access is there for the good of all in the community to use. He noted there is no cry from any other section of Buffalo Grove against this development. Buffalo Grove will be a better community to live in if it has the conveniences such as a gas station and a food establishment. The fact that this project is two very large corporations makes a difference here. These people have done all they can to make this a viable plan and he supports same. Commissioner Trilling stated he is unsure about this development but is frightened of what the next plan may be if this one is turned down. However, 98 percent of the Village is located southeast and southwest and would have a difficult time getting into this development. The other portion of the 98 percent that may come in will be northbound on Arlington Heights Road. This traffic and access configuration is a big problem and it appears that it may not really benefit Buffalo Grove residents. He stated he will have to oppose this particular development with great reluctance. Commissioner Berman noted the developer has made a herculean effort to make this as good a plan as possible. The benefit to the Village as a whole is but one factor in a larger equation. The biggest benefit of this location will be the people coming southbound on Route 83 and these are Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Regular Meeting-May 1, 1996-Page 2 non-residents of the Village. The key to a commercial property is access, but this property is hampered by the safety issue surrounding the left turn from Route 83 onto Arlington Heights Road. It is this safety issue for the 98 percent of the people who would need to make this movement which overrides the benefit in terms of taxes, convenience or any other benefits to the Village. Commissioner Rosenston agreed with Commissioner Samuels' comments about making decisions based on the total village. He noted he would love to see this parcel developed residential, `./ however, no one has as yet come in with such a plan and probably never will. He stated he further believes that an office development would be more harmful to the residents than they think. He stated there is no doubt that the majority of gas station activity will come from people outside of Buffalo Grove. Since they are coming through this way, it may as well pay for itself. He stated this is one of the best developments to get for this corner. He noted he really feels Fremont Way should be closed. However, despite problems he will support the motion. Chairman Goldspiel stated in opposition to the motion that a 24-hour facility of this nature has a very high impact on the surrounding residential area. With access on Fremont, all this traffic coming out on the road will exacerbate an already bad situation. In comparison an office type of facility here, which would not be a 24-hour facility, would be much less busy on weekends and have less impact on the neighborhood. Chairman Goldspiel called for a vote on the motion and the vote was as follows: AYES: Rosenston, Samuels NAYES: Howard, Berman, Lundine, Trilling, Ottenheimer, Goldspiel ABSTAIN: None ABSENT: Krug The motion failed 6 to 2. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT -None FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE Mr. Pfeil stated there will be a meeting together with the Village Board on May 13, 1996 and a regular meeting on May 15, 1996. PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS -None STAFF REPORT -None NEW BUSINESS -None Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Regular Meeting-May 1, 1996-Page 3 ADJOURNMENT Moved by Commissioner Rosenston, seconded by Commissioner Trilling and carried unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Goldspiel adjourned the meeting at 1:30 a.m. Respectful y submitted, Fay ubin, R o ing Secretary APPROVED BY: S EP N GO PIEL, hairman Buffalo Grove Plan Come-Regular Meeting-May 1, 1996-Page 4